Bristol Palin, Welcome To Presidential Politics '08

The crazy rumors can stop. Bristol Palin is pregnant and her Mom isn't hiding it.

Whether she likes it or not, whether you like it or not -- Bristol Palin and her unborn baby are going to be an issue in this campaign. She'll be discussed around water coolers and coffee tables and on blogs and in the mainstream media.

We'll discuss what Bristol means about a woman's right to choose or about baby killing or whatever your ideology dictates you call abortion.

We'll discuss what Bristol means about Sarah's Palin's choices as a working mother. We'll try to puzzle through whether criticizing her choice to work and suggesting she should have been more involved with her children is an anti feminist position.

We'll discuss what Bristol means given that Barack Obama was also conceived out of wedlock. We live in a world now where Bristol's child could grow up to be a Presidential nominee.

We'll discuss whether or not it's right to discuss Bristol at all.

But we'll still discuss her.

My advice to Bristol; it's not about you, really. None of the people talking about you -- including me -- know you at all. We know you're a real person but your name and likeness are now a symbol and a launching off point for strangers to discuss issues they feel passionately about. That's really weird but it's what happens.

Sorry. Best of luck.

Update: Some people are still holding onto the fake pregnancy rumor. Let's just do some math. Trig was on April 18, 2008 - about four months and a week ago. Bristol is said to be five months pregnant. Now, if you want to pretend that the five month date is a total lie then you'd also have to believe that the 17 year old had a Down's Syndrome baby then turned right around and got pregnant again presumably because the first premature birth was so freakin' awesome!

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

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Comments

[jimsey]

That math is interesting but not dispositive. There is enough variability in the dates that these could be another set of Irish twins. But it adds another interesting tidbit.

Again, though, this could be put to rest simply with a birth certificate and some late pregnancy photos of the daughter. Where are they?

[cvestal]

"Irish twins" is somewhat derogatory and offensive. I would hope discussion could be made without disparaging ethnicities or reinforcing stereotypical notions. Thanks. CV

[flowerchild57]

Is that really any of your business? This is SO asinine!

[bob5540]

"Bristol, we lied to cover your rear end. Mommy's running for VP, and so now you're going to have to lie to cover her fanny. But don't worry. You'll be having a 'miscarriage' soon."

[SUNRAI]

Um...hold your horses on doing any math calculations. Remember we aren’t talking about 5 months ago. In pregnancy terms (gestation) your due date is typically calculated based on the first day of your last menstrual period NOT from when you conceive so that adds about 2 weeks on to gestation. Bristol can be any where between 16 to 20 weeks. Give or take. Releasing a statement really doesn’t clear up the rumors, it just adds fuel to the fire….

[angelroost]

If she is in fact preggers, she might be 3 months along or even a little less....sh­e could deliver 4 weeks late without raising an eyebrow. Im not saying any of this is so, but how far along the family says she is doesnt mean anything. If these folks were cagey enough to pull off a fake pregnancy of a public official and get drs and friends and relatives on board, they can certainly manipulate this timeline. Obama is right, we should sit back and see how this plays out. Im sure the Enquirer had people on a plane Friday morning. Say what you will, they are very good at routing out this kind of stuff.

[TheCSNews]

It's not as complicated as all that. This will silence any and all rumors at least until after the election. Then we'll be presented with news that Bristol has miscarried or otherwise lost the baby. Until then, expect her to be very well hidden away. Until then, expect any and all die-hard conservative to pounce on anyone who claims there's more to the story.

[omaro]

Re: comments by jimsey, bob5540, SUNRAI and TheCSNews above: I think you're all onto something. As a marriage and family counselor with over thirty years' experience, I think this all adds up in the same direction. Yes, I could be wrong, but nothing about the Bristol-is-pregnant story contradicts the Bristol-ga­ve-birth-t­o-Trig story. Remember, once your seventeen-year-old has given birth, you can't just un-do things. She may have insisted on getting married to her boyfriend. It's a fairly common scenario to go ahead with the wedding plans, after adopting out the baby, allowing the young couple to move on with less of a challenge. Bristol could indeed be "about five months pregnant" after having given birth to Trig, or she'll be said to have had a miscarriage. Or, things could indeed all be as the Palins state regarding the governor's pregnancy and Bristol's mononucleosis, unbelievable as that whole story looks on its face.

[23000Days]

My odds are about 98% for everything you said, except the last sentence, which I give 2%.

[angelroost]

If you go with the scenario that Trig is really Bristols baby, Bristol may have thought it was a great idea to say it was her Mother's, until she had and held the baby. She may have resented being pressured to go along with the lie and then set out to have another. Lots of possible scenarios here. Sad really, if any are true.

[ajax2]

Doesn't this show the 'maverick' side of the Palin family, something John McCain would embrace?

[TheIndependenceParty]

First, ... I would suggest Alaskans need to find another way to stay warm in the Winter!

Second, ... I am almost expecting the Religious right to come forth with a story that Trig is a latter day John the Baptist, ... and Bristol's baby is the return of the Messiah! Although I guess the announcement that the father will be marrying Bristol probably does away with that notion.

[ernie1806]

With all respect to "Laugh In" - Very interesting. I have read the posts, viewed the pictures and videos, regarding the possibility that Trig is Palin's grandson and Bristols son. I think it is possible, but has not been proven. I suspect there is ton of investigative reporters working on this in Alaska. Should it turn out to true, the McCain campaign will be sunk. A way to abort this line of investigation is to claim that Bristol is 5 months pregnant. If this is true, she could not have possibly given birth in April 2008. The election will be over in 65 days, and by that time we will not know the outcome of this "pregnancy" . If Bristol gives birth in 4 months, we will know the truth. If, however, she has a "miscarriage" after the election, we will not know if this story is true. This has the potential of being a major cover up of a cover up.

[Mommiablo]

Ernie1806, you wrote it exactly as I said it to my husband half an hour ago. How do we know that Bristol is actually pregnant? I posted on the Charlie Rose/Palin (here at HP) interview recently and my post has not been confirmed. In that October 2007 interview, Palin states "my ONLY son just joined the military". At the age of 44 and presumably 7 months pregnant, and having likely had her amnio centesis, wouldn't she know the sex as well as the DS condition of her fetus? Since, according to her pro-life ideology that believes that life begins at conception, wouldn't she have said "my OLDER son just joined the military". Either she wasn't pregnant, or she isn't true to her pro-life ideology.

Although I've added to the more prurient side of the Palin, I hope everyone looks at the multiple, incredible scandals surrounding this woman, and the lies she has told. On the other hand, maybe it's better for progressives to let her stay, rather than McCain switching her out for someone else. Jindahl is looking awfully competent during this Gustav, and I would hate for McCain's Harriet-like pick to be up-graded to a better candidate.

[apoyo]

I can't help but wonder if the Palin family discussed their personal family situation before agreeing to embark on this venture. They already knew they were responsible for the complicated upbringing of a Down's Syndrome child. Now apparently they were also aware that their 17 year old child was bringing another child into this world. Now you have 3 children whose extraordinary needs must be met in addition to addressing the needs of the other two young daughters and their son going to Iraq. How do you do all that while at the same time you are enrolling in a crash course on how to run the country and discovering of what the rest of the world is up to?

[KingwoodMom]

it defies all logic and proves that Sarah Palin makes Hillary Clinton seem unambitious. Ambition is a fine quality and women should be ambitious.­.but when does it cross over to child neglect or just plain ruthlessness. Can you imagine the impact all this media attnetion will have on her poor daughter while her body and mind is going through the most trauma it has ever been through? How does a Mom do that to her child? Ruthless.
More importantly - since none of that is any of my business - I will just say there is no way you can focus on your VP job with these kinds of distractio­ns...wasn'­t that what some republicans said of Bill Clinton during the Monica scandal...­.so even if none of this is our business, ability tio perform for the American people sure is whether you are a DEM or a Rep.

[JimMan35]

Does Palin value her family so little that she would drag them all out onto the national stage with her so that they can be subjected to the scrutiny of the world? She KNEW that the investigation of her would come out, that her flip-flop on the bridge to nowhere would come out, that there were questions about her who was Trig's mother and why she went through such an incredibly risky labor to deliver her special needs infant in a hospital that lacked a NICU unit, and now, apparently, she KNEW that her 17 year old daughter is pregnant and is shoving her out into the global spotlight for all to see and judge.

I don't know. I have a 16 year old daughter and if she ended up pregnant and I was given the option of becoming the veep candidate, I think I'd have to say "This isn't the time. We have family issues that take precedence over career moves right now. You have many qualified possibilities. Please let us have this privacy."

[terentz]

Ditto -- I cannot accepting the Vice Presidency, or any other 24/7 job, if I had both a Down syndrome son and pregnant, unmarried, 17 year old daughter. Such crazed, upspeakable ambition.

[vinny]

So many issues, and we've got to talk about abortion? ug.

[TrueIndy08]

the republicans bring it up EVERY ELECTION CYCLE....

They were splattering all over the tv screens as soon as she was announced as VP that she was PRO LIFE.... they brought it to the forefront.­...

I am wondering how her being PRO LIFE is going to get my husband out of IRAQ safe and sound???

[MissDaphne]

Wow, way to go, Mom.
Line her up with Joe Biden as a dad--a single dad, taking Amtrak home to Delaware every night to be with his boys.
Talk about family values.

[tompoe]

Bristol was raised in a household with radical views: no abortion under any circumstances, including rape or incest; creationism; climate change is NOT manmade. Apparently, such upbringing doesn't confer extra advantages to such extremes. Makes me feel better, knowing my feeble efforts at being a father weren't as bad as Palin would like to think.

[longislandlol]

Radical Right is scary and far more dangerous than radical left-- at least with the left--our bodies our left up to us to control and not up to the 3 new appointees Palin and gang will put in if elected!

[shystar]

Palin may have with held this information from the McCain camp on her daughter's pregnancy, and decided to tell to detract from the allegations of the birth of her firth child but can we believe her.

She claims that her daughter is 5 months however this is just her word the child could be even in her first trimester. Another way to cover up the truth.

[Jarisha]

5 months or 3 months? We might not even know until after the election.

But let's give them the benefit of the doubt for just a minute and say that Trig is Sarah's son. If so, then she still has a lot of explaining to do. According to Palin and her doctor, here are the facts:
1. Sarah knew Trig had Downs; a condition that makes it more likely to have a difficult, even life-threatening delivery.
2. Sarah, in her 36th week, traveled to Texas for an energy meeting thing.
3. While there, she noticed her water was "leaking" and she was having contractions that she sensed were real. She called her doctor and stayed in touch for the remainder of this story.
4. The contractions were coming 1 or 2 an hour and had "settled down" so Sarah decided to make her planned speech instead of checking into the closest hospital.
5. After the speech, with her water still leaking, she flew 8 hours back to Alaska instead of checking into the closest hospital (Dallas has excellent hospitals).
6. Once she got to Alaska, she drove 2 hours back to her small town instead of checking into a much better equipped facility less than 10 miles from the airport (at which her doctor is a practicing physician).

She has to answer this simple question before I let her make decisions for my country:
Why?

[KingwoodMom]

because she is a nut job. it's Northern Exposure grit and unabashed ambition at its best.

[longislandlol]

The rovian mcain spin machine says she hightailed it out of the gov. Texas meeting cause she didn't want her son born a Texan--

[PioneerKing]

Seems like the republicans are the ones once again running celebrities for canidates Sonny Bono, Regan - and now the Palin family channeling the Spears family.

The main stream media should be grilling Palin on why she continues to be against sex-ed and birth control. This is the best example of why the republicans abstinence only program does not work.

Palin wants Americans to respect her family's privacy. Give me a break - WHAT A JOKE.
Why should the Palin family be entitled to privacy when Palin/McCain and the right wing conservative republicans are all about anything except family privacy?

Republicans want to control every American’s right to make decisions on family planning, birth control and a woman's right to Choice.

The republicans are always being sanctimonious about family values and the success of abstinence only programs; but when their values and the failure of abstinence only blows up in their faces they want family privacy.

NEWSFLASH - Palin is running for VP and should not be entitled to any greater level of privacy than that which she and the right wing republicans wish to strip away from the rest of America's families.

BTW
Where there is smoke there is fire - Palin has so much crap in her baggage that every other day the republicans are going to be on the defensive trying to clean up the mess